Forgiving Two Leggers
by Echo Chambers
Summary: Ignorant two-leggers took down her home with chain-saw monsters and sent her fleeing to Hogwarts. There the kind Herbology teacher gains her trust. She's never been around humans but soon must go to Hogwarts. Hopefully she'll be ready. Part tree woman.
1. Prologue

Prologue:

Prologue:

The men had come first, strange two-leggers covered in unknown skins. They spoke in strange voices and walked around, looking all day. They scratched twigs against rectangles that smelled of a strange tree she had never know. She had listened to her mother and hidden high up in her branches. The men had shook strange bottles and that hissed and made things colored. They made marks on the earth and Nadia was angry. They had no right to make claim on this land! Didn't they hear the birds telling them angrily that the land was already claimed? Didn't they see the way all the tree already bowed to her mother, the tree-woman of the woods? When the men left Nadia scrambled down and walked to the pink mark. She touched the tree's bark gently and felt him shudder beneath her touch.

Crying, Nadia tried to wipe it off to no avail. Her mother called to her sadly. "It will not come off." Nadia cried herself to sleep.

The men came back. The came inside of terrible monsters that roared and stank and smelled unlike anything she had ever smelled before. Again they spoke, and pointed, and scratched. Then monsters ate them again and the monsters went away. Her mother called to her fearfully. "Nadia you must leave. Go away from the monsters and wait until they leave. If they come towards you, move away and stay hidden. Do not hide in a tree." Nadia looked up at her fearfully.

"I'm scared mama. Why can't I hide in your branches?"

"Later I will tell you, but you much go now, they are coming." Indeed, the horrible roar of monsters was quickly approaching. On the verge of tears, Nadia ran off to hide many trees later in the shadows of the woods. Crouching in the shrubbery, a doe by her side, Nadia listened. The roar was even greater now. This new monster smelled of heat and fire and fear. There was a short silence that dragged into hours of suspense, Nadia longed to run back, but just as she rose, there came a horrible roar, a crunch and a scream. Nadia fell to the ground her hands covering her ears - fruitlessly trying to make it stop. The scream went on and on. Nadia cried out in terror and pain as she felt the tree die. The tortured screaming stopped with a heart-stopping finality. There was silence, then a sickening thud as he fell. But it was not over. The monster roared again and another scream sliced through the air. Even while the oak was dying another monster roared hungrily and a cedar cried out in pain. Oh the pain. Nadia could feel it as if the monster was eating _her_. On and on the screaming never stopped. Those creatures were heartless. Why were they hurting them? Why were they killing them? The doe at her side was shaking in terror as Nadia clutched the sturdy trunk of an oak for comfort. Her mother was there. Her mom was in danger. Would they hurt her? Would they kill her?

The screaming continued and another tree fell. There was the slightest of pauses between another friend's death and another monster's roar, and then there was a howl. Nadia knew it was her mother. No other scream could compare to the tortured screams of a tree-woman whose thick bark was slowly pierced by the jaws of a monster; it dragged its teeth back and forth as it slowly deepened the cut. She was a huge tree and it took so long… She screamed in pain, tears poured from Nadia's eyes as she screamed with her. How could those creatures do this? How could they not hear the pain, the terrible screaming? Did they enjoy it? Why were they hurting them?

The screaming seemed to go on forever. Even as she heard the gigantic crash she knew had to be her mother, falling to the ground, the screaming continued to ring inside her head. A few more trees died in agony before the roaring stopped and the uncaring voices of the two legged creatures drifted around on the wind. Then the smaller roars began again and soon faded into the distance. Nadia sat there, in shock. Beside her the doe slowly stood, still shaking slightly, and walked off. A cute bunny family hopped from their burrow and looked around. The oak tree beside her gave a sigh of relief, and of sorrow. Slowly Nadia pulled herself to her feet, and stumbled forward, back to her mom.

What met her was the most gruesome sight she had ever seen. Where once her friends and mother had stood, they lay like fallen twigs upon the ground. Bushes had been trampled and all around plants oozed sap. No creature sung or bustled about. All was quiet in respect for the dead. Nadia gently moved through the graveyard to her mother. The large oak tree suddenly seemed so cold. Where her mother's warm, gentle spirit had once filled the tree was a huge, empty hole. Brushing her fingers gently over her bark she knew her mother's spirit was already gone. She let out a sob as she saw just how cruelly she had been cut down. Large jagged lines made a disturbing puzzle where her trunk and stump had once connected. The wind cried as the plants moaned, and she sobbed. All night she lay there on her mother's body and did not stir until the doe returned and nuzzled her in the shoulder. She clung to her mother's body hopelessly until the gentle voice of a grandmother ash woke her from her thoughts.

"They will return," she told her. "You must leave." The ash fell silent once again in mourning, and Nadia knew that she was right. On shaking legs she stumbled from the clearing and took the familiar trail into the woods. As she walked she listened, but where she had once eagerly chatted and easily smiled at all the creatures she saw and knew, she now trudged slowly, head down and silent. The whole woods were quiet. Fearful whispering had filled the treetops, tearful mutterings rustled through the shrubbery. Nadia cried. It took her all day to walk through the forest where she once again turned to an ash for advice. The wise tree told her, "Keep going. No place in the woods is safe. I have heard, though, tales of other forests into which the monsters cannot venture. If what I know is true, then you must go completely strait through all of the Strange Lands where only one plant grows, and then turn towards the rising sun. From there the other trees will guide you for I have heard it is not very far. But do not go near any of the creatures that have hurt this wood, and do not let them see you. They will return here though, until all of us are gone. Go now." Nadia nodded.

"Thank you Wise-Tree. You have been good to me for all my life. I will not forget you and will keep you in my memory well." He bowed his leafy top. "Farewell."

"Farewell." And Nadia turned and walked away.

It took Nadia twelve sunrises to pass through all the Strange Lands. Indeed, she had never seen such things before. There was a land of all grass where only bugs and a few weeds gave it company, and a land of all wheat where not one flower could be found! One had strange things lying in it that shot water out over the plants. The creature was long and thin, like a gigantic snake with strange circles for legs. When she went to greet it though it was not alive. It puzzled her for it did not feel like plant either it seemed like something the bad creatures would have. Nadia hurried on.

When she came to the other side of a corn land, which was tall and very friendly, she was shocked to see an even stranger thing. At the edge of the strangely strait-edged land was the biggest deer trail she had ever seen. It was dry and dusty, and stretched out of sight in both directions. It was wide enough for her to lye across it twice! But, beyond this huge trail were huge shapes. They smelled slightly treeish but with the "off-ness" she had come to associate with the bad creatures. They had perfectly flat sides and were in unnatural colors. They sat out in the open with no protection or camoflouge and seemed decidedly non-animal. Nadia knew she had come to the end of the Strange Lands, and turned towards the sunrise. Slipping back between the corn so the bad creatures couldn't see her, she walked over to the nearest tree.

"Hello," she greeted. The Birch looked down at her,

"Hello."

"A wise-tree told me that there is a woods where the bad-creatures cannot enter. I am looking for this forest. Do you know where to find it?" The Birch seemed sad.

"Many others have come recently. The tree woman run quickly when the full moon gives them legs. Yes, halfling. Follow this wide-path until you see the beech with a sick branch and robin's nest. Ask him as you asked me and he will help you from there."

"Thank you, Kind-Birch. I will remember your kindness and keep it well in my memory. Farewell." And again she turned and walked on. Her feet were tired when she found the Beech tree.

"Hello, Beech tree." He looked down at her kindly. "I am looking for the safe woods where the bad creatures cannot enter. Do you know where I can find it?"

"Yes, Halfling. Walk strait past me until you see the bear tracks. Follow in his footsteps until you see the Strange Shape that smells of bad-creatures. Turn your back to it and walk. You will pass a deer trail and then you will be in that woods."

"Thank you," she told the kind Beech tree. "But may I rest amongst your branches awhile? My feet have tired greatly from travels."

"Yes, Halfling." Carefully she climbed up his trunk and rested upon his branches.

"Thank you," she murmured before she fell asleep.

The resident robin woke her kindly as dark began to set. "You should go now," the Good-Beech told her. "Night is falling and the woods you venture towards are a safer place to rest than amongst my branches."

She crawled down and turned to face him once more. "Thank you, Good-Birch for letting me sleep amongst your branches and guiding me on my way. I will keep you well in my memory."

"And you as well, Halfling," he smiled down at her. "Farewell." She walked past him, searching in the fading light for the tracks. The found them, just past a badgers den, and quickly the led her insight of the Strange Shape of the bad-creatures. Hiding in the bushes and shadows, she moved in front of it, turned her back to it, and left in search of the deer trail. The deer trail was much further in finding. The night bats were long out and she had seen many owls before she felt her feet upon the well-worn earth that had to be a deer-trail.

Quickly stepping across it she smiled, she had made it! And then she cried, because of why she'd had to come. She missed her mother. Not wanting to wake a slumbering tree, walked on to find a safe place to sleep.

Sunlight was very bright by the time Nadia opened her eyes. The peaceful rustling of branches and talking of the creatures made her feel at peace. She felt attention on her and looked up. The face of a bad-creature stared down at her. With a tree-shriek she cowered back in fright. The creature leaned back and she saw it was part horse. She tilted her head to the side. "Who are you?" she asked. The creature looked back at her, equally confused. She opened her mouth to repeat herself, when he spoke in a language she did not know. It sounded like bad-creature.

She backed away quickly. A nearby oak felt her fear and spoke to her. "Climb me, but do not be afraid. This is a halfling as well." From the branches of the oak she peered down at the bearded face curiously.

"What is it?" she asked the Understanding-Oak.

"It is a Halfling, part horse, part human."

"What is human?"

"It is commonly known as bad-creature." Nadia gasped. "But do not judge, for you are half bad-creature too." Nadia looked affronted.

"I am not. I am a tree-person."

"Who can walk when it is not the full moon? You know you are not all tree-person you just did not know you were part human."

Nadia pursed her lips. "Wait, if he is a Halfling also why can't I understand him?"

"He speaks in human, you speak in tree." Nadia nodded to herself. Good

"Then I am more tree-person than hundam."

"Human, and yes, I suppose you are." The other Halfling, with one last curious glance, walked away. Nadia leaned back against her trunk.

"Thank you, Understanding-Oak. You are very good and wise. I am new to these woods. May I stay a while in your branches and learn from you?" Nadia spent the entire first year in the Oaks good care, and told her much about her old forest and talked about the nightmares that plagued her. Soon though, she remembered all the good times from before, and pushed away that horrible day. Nadia came to know the forest well, and was soon acquainted with the many trees and tree-dwellers there were. The Tree-man of the woods often danced with her on the full-moon nights and he spent many afternoons with her teaching her how to care for and heal the many plants of the forest. It had been over four years since she came to the forest and she felt safe and content, until one humid summer day.

**Please review, next chapter will be up once I get three reviews.**


	2. Chapter 1

Professor Twigg always loved plants

Professor Twigg always loved plants. He enjoyed planting them, and watering them, talking to them, and caring for them. Naturally, when Professor Dumbledore mentioned that it might be night to add a Whomping Willow to the Hogwarts grounds he was ecstatic. Such a rare and temperamental plant - what an experience! Eagerly he searched the market for a seedling and got started right away. So, on one humid summer day, he set out with his wheelbarrow of tools, the plant and a shovel to the pre-determined spot on the grounds. Humming he placed aside the wooden marker and picked up the shovel. Magic, he admitted to himself, would be much quicker, but there were many Herbologists who speculated it damaged the soil. He rolled his powerful shoulders, stretched his muscular arms, and got to work. He was completely unaware of the brown set of eyes gazing at him from the shadows of the forest.

Nadia hadn't seen many bad-creatures since she came to these new woods. Occasionally a couple would wander frightenly near the edge, or dart inside with a laugh, but they never came far, and they never brought the roaring monsters. Here though was another bad-creature, and it was near a baby tree. Nadia perched on a tree branch tensely, trying to think of a way to rescue the seedling.

Hours passed, and she watched curiously as he kept digging. What was he looking for? Another seedling? Didn't he know that there was none there? Protective-Willow seedlings were very large. If there was one there he could have seen it at quite the distance, standing tall from the ground. A small bead of sweat dripped down the side of her face as the heat of the day came to a climax. The bad-creature was still digging, standing inside his hole, the strange skins he wore were wet with sweat. Finally, he pulled himself from the pit and put down his shovel. Then he reached for the tree. Nadia let out a tree-screech. The tree she sat in shivered. The bad-creature didn't notice. She longed to race over there and defend the tree, but old words held her still. "Do not go near any of the creatures which have hurt this woods, and do not let them see you." Swaying on the tree she forced herself to wait and watch.

The bad-creature did not hit the tree. He did not make it scream. He did not even seem to be trying to kill it. Nadia tilted her head to the side in confusion. He took a twig and quickly touched it in it's secret-spot to make it go still, then he took a stick from where it was hidden in the strange skins and waved it. The seedling lifted from the pot. He did not throw it, or drop it. He moved his twig and it floated gently to rest in the pit. The pit was a good size too. Retouching the freeze-spot he kept it still as he shoveled dirt back around it and gently patted it down. Then he let it move again as he showered it lightly with water that appeared from nowhere. Nadia leaned back in confusion. The bad-creature had helped a tree. The tree she sat in laughed.

"That creature is a tree-friend. He will not hurt us." Still in confusion Nadia watched him wheel the object away. She watched the seedling for hours, waiting for a sign it was hurt in any way. But it seemed strangely happy, content and well. She waited until sunset and climbed down the tree. Her curiosity was great, so she ignored the words of old and ventured out from the woods. She walked hunched over, feeling unprotected in such an open place where grass was did not reach her knees and only the sky covered her head. Quickly she ran to the protective-willow.

"Hello," she said as she kneeled before it. It seemed surprised to see her.

"What are you?" asked the seedling.

"I am a tree-person, but only a Halfling." She explained. "May I touch you, are you alright?"

"Yes, you may, and I am fine."

"Are you really okay?" she asked as she gently traced her long fingers over his bark checking for injuries.

"Yes. Why do you think I am unwell?" he asked his branches starting to sway dangerously in slight offense.

"That bad-creature was touching to today. I am worried for you. Are your roots comfortable, you have no broken twigs or damaged branches? He did not try to hurt you?"

"No." said the seedling, surprised. "He is a bad-creature? The two-legers were always kind to me. They raised me from a seed and seemed very good."

It was Nadia's turn to look shocked. She stopped checking his branches. "They helped you, Protective-Willow? The creatures of his type that I have seen killed my mother and my woods. They tortured them as they cut them down." The willow had not herd of such things, growing up in a secluded nursery. "I am very confused right now," she confided in the willow. "I have never seen a good bad-creature." The willow laughed at her words. Suddenly there was a movement behind her. Whirling around she saw the surprised face of the good bad-creature.

Fearfully she scrambled back. "Willow may I climb your branches?!" she cried, with his "yes" she scrambled up and cowered away. The human began to speak in his strange language. When she did not respond he sighed, and sat down. Nadia blinked in surprise. He was not attempting to hurt her, but he was not going away either. He stared at her; she met his blue eyes.

XXXXXXXXX

Professor Twigg, having spent most of his day planting the Whomping Willow, had opted to stay late in the Green House and finish up, rather than leave any plants untended. As it was, the Biting Tulip was in a foul mood being watered off schedule and he had to sing to the baby Singing Poppies, so it took longer than he'd expected. Walking back to his office in Hogwarts he found the sun was already setting. Figuring he'd check up on the willow on the way he added a few more steps to his route and got the surprise of his life. There, _sitting beneath the __**whomping**__ willow_ was a naked girl. If it was a full moon he'd have thought she was a tree-folk, but it was not. She had dirty skin and bright brown eyes; her fingers were long as was her curly brown hair. Twiggs and white flowers looked to be stuck in her hair, but it was more likely that they were growing. The moment she saw him she bolted up the tree in fear. He had tried to talk to her, telling her how she was safe, not to be scared, and that he didn't mean her any harm. It was obvious she didn't have a clue what he was saying. So, he did the first thing he thought of, and sat down.

"He wont leave," she whispered to the willow. It felt like it'd been hours since the man had showed up. Nadia wasn't so afraid anymore. More than anything, she was bored and wanted down. She moved her foot, wondering what he'd do. The man simply looked at her. She jerked her foot back under her and scowled. He tilted his head to the side. She rolled her shoulders and settled back down determined to out-wait him. Minutes later she wanted down again. She moved her foot again. He only stared. He didn't move, didn't seem to want to attack… she inched down a branch.

"He's really not so bad," the willow told her. She looked at it in disbelief. "Others are bad, yes," he quickly amended. "But as you can see he has been good to me, and I have heard others say he was good as well." Nadia thought back to the tree she had sat in earlier that day. A tree-friend the tree had called him. She studied the human more thoughtfully.

Professor Twigg felt the gaze on him change and was careful to appear relaxed and peaceful. The girl seemed to relax a bit. Finally. He felt like fidgeting under her gaze but ignored the impulse. If she were a tree-folk, as he was sure she was to some degree, it would only make her mistrustful. He watched as she moved down another branch. She was almost at the ground. Then, in a burst of surprising courage and curiosity she jumped to the ground and stared him in the eye. The willow seemed to say something to her because she looked at him and 'spoke'. It was a strange noise, but not unpleasant. She spoke with the sound of rustling leaves, creaking of wood and whispering wind. He gazed at her. Then he smiled.

She gazed at him, studying him closely. Then smiled back. She reached out and he let her touch his chest. She felt at the fabric with curiosity in her eyes. "It's clothes. Made of plants," he tried to tell her, but at his voice the spell was broken and she dashed away into the shadow and the Forbidden Forest. Twigg sighed. "She certainly is interesting, he told the willow. "You take care of her, 'kay. She's real young to be on her own." And with that Twigg turned and walked into the castle, at least he knew the Whomping Willow would be taken care of.

The day passed well for Twigg. The singing Poppies had learned the B flat scale and the pretty music seemed to help the Biting Tulip forgive him. As he walked by the Willow again that night Nadia gazed around the tree at him. He smiled and went about his business, feeling her eyes on him the whole time. It was like that all week. He would care for the green houses, and when he visited the willow, the tree-girl would be there, wait for him, watching him. So began the adventure of getting to know the strange, but interesting, girl.

Gradually she came to know he would leave her be, and she ventured from behind the tree to walk behind him and see what he did. He found it rather awkward at first, her being naked and probably about nine years old, but he grew accustomed to her presence and soon began speaking to her one-sidedly about what he was doing. She had no idea what he was saying, but she smiled at him all the same. July arrived, and one day she followed him into the greenhouse where she touched the glass curiously and spoke in her strange whispery tongue, exclamations of shock. He noticed how gently she touched the plants, and how even the more temperamental and dangerous ones reacted well to her touch. She knew much about the plants. She followed him around and learned what a watering can did and how to use a shovel. After a few weeks she was imitating his actions and would follow him around watering the plants.

Professor Twigg had been thinking deeply for some time about the problems the upcoming school year could present. She had seemed to develop quite curiosity for, if not an attachment to, him but there was no way a naked girl was going to be allowed to wander around the school grounds. So far, the staff didn't care, but they would then! He had contemplated attempting to teach her to wear clothes, but he couldn't tell if she was curious about her human side, or just what he was doing with his plants, and if it was only plants he didn't want to scare her off. However, his mind was decided quite quickly and firmly one early August day.

"Here you go," he said as he handed her a watering pot. He turned and began to water a colorful shelf of flowers. "These are singing poppies," he told her, habitually speaking to her as he worked. "They've just learned C minor and are having loads of fun with it. Don't they sound lovely? I - what did you say?" he turned to look at her. She looked back at him with wide, not understanding eyes. "Don't they sound lovely?" he asked again, somewhat tentatively. She looked at him and said,

"Yeays" in a voice accented with gently rustling leaves. His jaw dropped open. He smiled.

"Amazing," he beamed at her. "Just wonderful. Good job. That's great!" he showered praise upon her. She got the point easily.

"Yeays," she said again. He kept beaming.

"They are relative of the Caroling Clovers," he told her. "Do you like to sing?" he asked her.

"Yeays." He laughed with delight, feeling much like he had when his son first spoke fifteen years ago. For the rest of the day, he asked her opinion constantly, and though the answer was always yes and he wasn't sure she knew what it meant, he was so thrilled! She was trying to speak, so she obviously was curious about more than the plants and his gardening tools. His mind was made up and that night he walked straight up to Dumbledore's office, still smiling.

"Hello, Christopher," greeted Dumbledore when he stepped inside the purple room.

"Hello, hello! I - well I was hoping - I thought - " he exclaimed, tripping over his thoughts in his excitement. Dumbledore raised an eye brow.

"Lemon drop?" he offered casually. Twigg took one and rolled it absentmindedly between his hands. He took a great breath.

"Professor Dumbledore, sir, I have been thinking a great deal lately about the tree-girl who has been following me around. I believe you have seen her…?" Albus nodded. "Yes, well I've been wondering about the school year, and about what she's really curious about, the plant care or the people, and today I have been made absolutely certain it is the people." Another raised eyebrow prompted him to continue. "She's trying to learn English!" he gushed excitedly. "Any ways, I know she can't be following me around with the students naked, and I also know she won't learn to wear clothes before September, so I wanted to ask to resign and buy that abandoned house at the other side of the forest!" Dumbledore looked shocked briefly. Then he looked thoughtful.

"I actually think you're right. There is a woman, Padmona Sprout, who graduated recently and I'm sure she's still looking for a job… Yes, I think it will work. Of course you just can have the house, no charge. I'll get a house elf to clean it right now! You can move in any time after tomorrow."

"Oh, thank you so much! I'm sure I'll end up dropping by the school a lot, she'll need to interact with kids a bit later anyways… oh how wonderful!" and he nearly skipped out of the office, smiling fit to burst with happiness.

It took all the way up to the morning of September first to manage to move the tree-girl into the house. Explaining to her what they were doing was the hard part. In the end he used a chalk board and drew it out. At her "Yeays" and look of understanding he beamed. All that was left was showing her the house, gathering supplies (which the house elf Liddy was eager to supply) and communicating to her that she couldn't come back to the green houses or Whomping Willow.

In the next two years Nadia learned to wear clothes, speak English, read and write, and learned a lot about the human world (wizarding and muggle). On her eleventh birthday she got her Hogwarts letter, and that is where the story starts.

**The next chapter is almost finished but I need two new reviews before I'll post.**


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